Deacon Carter’s Last Dime by Nathan Crowder

“Deacon Carter’s Last Dime” is a 2009 science fiction short story by Nathan Crowder. It is about a brilliant man who builds a moon rocket out of junk yard parts.

Junk Yards – The Happiest Places on Earth!

When I was a young boy I visited my fair share of junk yards – and they were a blast! My friends and I would usually find some crappy old vehicle and turn it in to our very own imaginary space ship. Loads of fun, baby – loads of fun. Those experiences were a big part of the reason I really liked the movie Explorers. Between the junk yards and the movie I found that this Million Writers Award nominated story really hit home with me – maybe it will with you too.

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Jim Coffey is a man who owns a junk yard – that is pretty lucky. But his life is also stuck in a rut – and that isn’t so lucky. But things look like they might change when his smart, childhood friend Deacon Carter shows up and asks if he can build a rocket in Jim’s yard. He grudgingly agrees, and over time Deacon builds the rocket with his family and friends. Where is this rocket ship going you might ask? Well, to the moon of course – where everyone will finally be completely free. Because of his help Deacon offers Jim a seat on the ship, but will he accept? Hmm, maybe.

My Two Cents…

• Ah – my ultimate dream: building a real, working spaceship from junk yard parts! It was a very fun concept, and a big part of the reason I enjoyed this story so much.
• The role-reversal between Deacon and Jim was excellent – some very cool underlying ideas there.
• Deacon Carter was a great character – I very much enjoyed reading about his extraordinary life.

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 6
• Word Count: 4,029
• Did you know that Nathan Crowder is a member of the Horror Writers Association? Yep. You can learn more about this excellent speculative fiction author on his web site.

Where You Can Find Deacon Carter’s Last Dime:

• This story was originally published in June 2009 on the science fiction and fantasy web site Crossed Genres – where you can still read it for free.
• It is also included in the 2010 short story anthology Crossed Genres Year One.

Craving More Stories?

If you liked “Deacon Carter’s Last Dime” then you might also enjoy The Ray-Gun: A Love Story – about an unpopular teenage boy who finds an alien ray gun in the forest, by James Alan Gardner.

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